Smarty Ears

What Smarty Ears does

Smarty Ears is a privately held, founder-owned speech-language pathology technology company founded in 2009 by Brazilian-American SLP Barbara Fernandes in the Dallas, Texas metro area. The company sells a dual-product ecosystem targeting speech-language pathologists, school districts, parents, and graduate SLP programs: (1) Smarty Ears Online, a web-based comprehensive clinical suite with adaptive activities, automated data tracking, IEP-aligned goal banks, and collaborative tools, and (2) a portfolio of 70+ specialized iOS applications covering articulation, language, literacy, social communication, AAC, and dysphagia assessment. The supporting infrastructure includes the wholly-owned Smarty Symbols library of 30,000+ AAC symbols and the NIH SBIR-funded Listening 2 Faces adaptive listening training app.

The company's technology stack combines a HIPAA-compliant web platform with mobile apps that store data locally on iOS devices, supporting multilingual populations across English, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Vietnamese, Arabic, Hindi, French, and German. AI features are positioned around automated data reporting, adaptive difficulty adjustment, and conversational prompt generation for social communication therapy, though the depth of proprietary AI capability is undisclosed. Go-to-market runs on three rails: App Store product-led distribution for individual clinicians and parents, enterprise field sales with quote-based site licensing and volume discounts for school districts, and a complimentary University Access Grant Program seeding adoption among graduate SLP students.

The business model blends one-time App Store purchases, tiered SaaS subscriptions ($21.99/month individual, $240/year professional, $340/year collaborative plus, plus custom district site licenses with multi-year discounts), and research grants. The company was bootstrapped with a US$4,000 personal investment and has remained privately held, with the only external capital being NIH SBIR Phase I and II awards for Listening 2 Faces. Named customers are largely individual clinicians and small consulting practices, and no large district or enterprise logos anchor the disclosed customer base.

Name

Smarty Ears

Legal name

Smarty Ears, LLC

Website

https://smartyearsapps.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smarty Ears is a Dallas-area speech-language pathology technology company founded in 2009 that sells Smarty Ears Online, a HIPAA-compliant web clinical suite, alongside 70+ specialized iOS apps serving school districts, SLPs, parents, and graduate programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Speech Therapy Software

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription) (EDAFAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pronunciation, Speech Recognition & Accent Training Tools (EDAFAOAG)

Keywords

• Speech therapy software
• Special education technology
• Augmentative communication apps
• Language learning tools
• Clinical assessment software

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. One-Time App Purchases (Apple App Store): Individual iOS applications sold as one-time purchases through Apple's App Store. Apps are priced individually and available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Apps are compatible with iOS 12.0+ and Android 6.0+.
2. Smarty Ears Online Subscriptions: Web-based comprehensive clinical platform offered on subscription basis. Plans include monthly ($21.99/month), annual professional ($240/year), and collaborative plus ($340/year). Site licenses for organizations charge per educator with unlimited student access.
3. Enterprise / District Site Licenses: Volume-based site licenses for school districts and organizations, priced per educator with unlimited student access. Volume discounts available: 10%+ for >20 users, 15%+ for >50 users, 18%+ for >100 users. Multi-year contracts offer additional savings (10% for 2 years, 15% for 3 years).
4. University Grant / Complimentary Access: Complimentary and reduced-cost access granted to accredited university graduate programs in speech-language pathology, building future user base and professional community relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Smarty Ears provides a comprehensive speech-language pathology technology ecosystem consisting of Smarty Ears Online, a HIPAA-compliant web-based clinical suite with adaptive learning activities, AI-driven data reporting, and IEP-aligned goal banks, plus a portfolio of 70+ standalone iOS applications targeting articulation, language, literacy, social communication, AAC, and clinical assessment. Products are sold to individual clinicians and parents via app stores and self-serve subscriptions, and to school districts via enterprise site licenses.

Product overview

Smarty Ears provides a dual-stream ecosystem for speech, language, and literacy therapy: (1) Smarty Ears Online, a comprehensive web-based clinical suite with hundreds of adaptive activities, automated data tracking, IEP-aligned goal banks, and collaborative tools for SLPs, educators, and families; and (2) 70+ standalone iOS apps for targeted, device-based therapy that work offline. The portfolio includes specialized apps for articulation (Articulate Plus), language development (Language Empires, Sentence Ninja), social skills (Social Quest), literacy (Reading Comprehension Camp, Phonological Awareness Lab), AAC (Expressive Go, Custom Boards), dysphagia assessment (Dysphagia2Go), and word-finding (iName It). Supporting infrastructure includes Smarty Symbols (30,000+ symbol library) and research projects like Listening 2 Faces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smarty Symbols: A comprehensive web-based symbol library offering over 30,000 symbols for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and visual support materials. Features a 'Character of Choice' allowing users to personalize visual supports with diverse characters representing various skin tones and backgrounds.
• Speech and Language Academy

Products and services

• Smarty Ears Online A web-based comprehensive clinical suite providing SLPs, educators, and families with hundreds of adaptive activities, automated data tracking and AI-powered reporting, IEP-aligned goal banks, universal student profiles, cross-platform compatibility, and secure HIPAA-compliant cloud sync. Designed for individual clinicians, school districts, and parents supporting children with speech, language, literacy, and communication needs.
• Smarty Ears iOS App Suite A portfolio of 70+ standalone mobile applications distributed through the Apple App Store, targeting articulation, language, literacy, social communication, AAC, and clinical assessment. Apps work offline and store data locally on device, compatible with iOS 12.0+ and Android 6.0+.
• Expressive Go 4.0 An AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) app for non-verbal learners, with version 4.0 introducing the first-of-its-kind Pre-Emptive Grammatical Intervention System for AAC fluency. Now available permanently free to download and use.
• Listening 2 Faces An NIH SBIR-funded adaptive listening training iPad app designed to improve speech perception in noise for children with developmental disabilities including autism (ASD) and hearing loss. Developed in collaboration with co-investigators Dr. Sullivan and Dr. Irwin.
• Smarty Symbols A comprehensive web-based symbol library with over 30,000 symbols for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and visual support materials, featuring a 'Character of Choice' option allowing users to personalize visual supports with diverse characters representing various skin tones and backgrounds.
• iName It A word-finding app for individuals with aphasia and apraxia, using realistic visual scenes with five evidence-based cueing strategies to help patients retrieve target words. Co-created by certified SLPs Elizabeth Begley and Mary Pitti.
• Dysphagia2Go A clinical dysphagia evaluation app assisting clinicians in assessing all areas of dysphagia, completing chart reviews, oral mech exams, and generating printable/emailable reports. HIPAA compliant.
• Custom Boards A visual support system enabling creation of customized communication boards, schedules, and activities using the Smarty Symbols library. Supports templates for board games, matching cards, and printable materials.
• WHQuestions An app providing over 400 opportunities to practice asking and answering Wh-questions (what, where, who, how, why) in real-world contexts. Available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
• Bilingual Articulation and Phonology Assessment (BAPA) The first and only standardized articulation assessment fully designed for iPad, evaluating both English and Spanish skills for each student with automated standard scores and reports. Developed in partnership with Bilinguistics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves clinicians up to 5 hours of administrative work weekly through automated progress reporting
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• LinguabilitiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2023Smarty Ears and Linguabilities joined forces to support children with speech and communication disorders through combined product offerings and co-marketing.
• Southern Connecticut State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018HeARS (Hearing Assessment in Response to Noise Screener) project awarded to Southern Connecticut State University, with Smarty Ears as developer and creator. Phase I and II of the Start Preliminary Proof of Concept Fund.
• BilinguisticsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Four-year collaboration to create the Bilingual Articulation and Phonology Assessment (BAPA) — the first and only articulation app fully standardized on the iPad. BAPA enables evaluation of both English and Spanish skills for bilingual students.
• Elizabeth Begley & Mary Pitti (Co-Authors)minorStrategic or Co-development PartneriName it app co-created by certified SLPs Elizabeth Begley (Augmentative and Alternative Communication Clinic, College Station Medical Center) and Mary Pitti (Clinic Program Director and Clinical Assistant Professor, Ithaca College) for individuals with word-finding difficulties secondary to Aphasia and/or Apraxia.
• Rosie Simms (Co-Author)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored Fun & Functional app designed to improve language comprehension and expression by enhancing ability to identify and describe function of real-world objects. Also co-designed Go-Togethers app targeting semantic abilities.
• Sean Sweeney (Co-Author)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-designed Go-Togethers app along with Rosie Simms for Smarty Ears. The app targets identification of word associations and expressive naming using innovative tap-and-drag gestures.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Boom Learning: Digital activity and assessment platform for K-12 educators and SLPs — comparable in offering interactive speech/language activities with data tracking for classroom and therapy use.
• Speech Blubs: Direct competitor offering speech therapy mobile apps for children, with a similar product-led growth motion via the App Store and a focus on parent-driven home practice — overlapping directly with Smarty Ears' pediatric speech-therapy app portfolio.
• AssistiveWare (Proloquo2Go): Leading AAC app developer (Proloquo2Go, Proloquo4Text) targeting non-verbal learners on iOS — directly comparable to Smarty Ears' Expressive Go and Custom Boards AAC offerings, with a similar clinician-endorsed distribution model.
• PRC-Saltillo (TouchChat): Established AAC device and app provider (TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life) competing in the same augmentative communication category as Smarty Ears' Expressive Go AAC app, particularly for school-district AAC procurement.
• TheraPlatform: Practice management and teletherapy platform built for speech-language pathologists and therapists — overlaps with Smarty Ears Online's clinical suite, scheduling, and SLP workflow tooling.
• LessonPix: Custom symbol and picture provider for special education and speech therapy, including AAC materials — competes directly with Smarty Ears' Smarty Symbols library of 30,000+ symbols for visual supports.

Broad incumbents

• SimplePractice: Incumbent practice-management SaaS for therapists and SLPs, offering scheduling, documentation, and telehealth — competes in the broader SLP workflow category though it lacks Smarty Ears' deep clinical-content library.
• PresenceLearning: Teletherapy and related services platform for school districts serving special education populations — comparable in targeting district-level special education procurement and remote SLP services.
• Tobii Dynavox: Incumbent AAC hardware and software provider for individuals with communication impairments — broader portfolio than Smarty Ears but directly competes in the AAC segment including apps like Compass.

Emerging players

• Bilinguistics: Bilingual speech-language pathology consultancy that co-developed the BAPA assessment with Smarty Ears — an adjacent partner/peer in bilingual SLP assessment tools and culturally responsive therapy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SmartyEarsApps
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmartyEars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smarty-ears
• Instagraminstagram.com/smartyears
• Pinterestpinterest.com/smartyears

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smarty Ears